Cots provide a temporary sleeping surface positioned above the ground or floor. Preferably, a cot is easily moved and transported and/or stored for later use. Cots find a wide variety of uses in many different activities for different ages and sizes of people. In one use, cots are used for camping or other outdoor sleeping settings to avoid contact with the ground. In another use, cots are used indoors by children or preschoolers when it is desired to provide a comfortable sleeping surface that is raised above the floor. Cots are more advantageous than mats or other devices that lie directly on the floor or ground for many reasons. For example, they provide a more comfortable sleeping surface, allow air flow between the floor or ground and the sleeping surface, provide a sleeping surface for a person which is not in contact with the sleeping surface of another person when in storage, and do not expose the sleeping person to filth and/or pests which may be present on the floor or ground.
One problem associated with cots is the fact that, when assembled, they require more storage space and can be more cumbersome than mats or sleeping bags. In order to address this problem, various improvements have been made in the design of cots. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,003,649 and 6,564,400 to Kelly provide nestable cots with a frame that allows a plurality of cots to be nestably stacked one on top of another. Each cot includes four corner pieces, each corner piece configured to receive a pedestal from a corresponding one of the corner pieces stacked thereupon. Thus, the stacked cots occupy a space that has a total height that is less than the sum of the individual heights of each cot, and are more easily stored and handled.
While the '649 and '400 patents are steps in the right direction in improving the design of cots, there remains room for additional improvements. One problem with some prior art cots is related to the sleeping surface of the cots. Cots typically have a frame for supporting bedding material or fabric that extends between members of the frame. One of the problems with these prior art cots is that gaps are formed between the bedding material and the frame, and these gaps may pose a safety hazard, particularly for children. The potential for injury exists if a child inserts a hand, foot, head or other body part through the gap, where it may become stuck or may cause the child to trip and fall. Also, the cot is more susceptible to being damaged. Cots having such gaps, particularly at the corners, have been prevalent in the prior art and means have not been provided for ensuring against such gaps.
Another problem with some prior art cots is related to maintaining the rigidity of the cots in a generally flat orientation. Most cots are based on a frame of multiple pieces connected to corner pieces or each other to form a frame. The tension on the frame from the bedding material can cause these pieces to warp or twist, imparting a warp or twist to the cot, inhibiting the cot from lying flat. This problem becomes worse over time as the cot is repeatedly subjected to loading.
A further problem in some prior art cots has been the time and cost of shipping and assembly. Cots can be shipped fully assembled, which takes extra space and thus costs more, or can be shipped disassembled, which requires time, energy and typically tools for a user to assemble the cot. There is a need to balance these factors.
While there have been various approaches to improving the design and construction of nestable cots, the need for improvement still remains. There is needed an improved cot that addresses the problems in the prior art in a reliable, safe, durable and efficient manner. The present invention satisfies these needs, among others.